Saturday, January 21

Interview with Amie Irene Winters, Author of a Unique YA Fantasy Series titled Strange Luck

Hello, pretties. I'm glad to tell you that I had the chance to interview the author of Strange Luck and The Nightmare Birds - book 1 and 2 in an ongoing series, more info on them below - and I'm here today to share her awesome-sauce answers with you. 

Without further ado, let's get right into the interview.

1. Besides writing, what other professions are you/were you interested in?

Too many to count! I think the very first job I dreamed about as a kid was being a veterinarian. I’m was a huge animal lover and still am. My first actual job was working at a pizza parlor when I was thirteen or fourteen. It took me a LONG time to realize that my greatest passion was writing, but along the way I experimented with quite a few jobs. Let’s see… I briefly taught anthropology and archaeology at a community college, tried my luck as a park ranger, was a grant writer for environmental conservation projects, and did the whole corporate thing for a while where I sat in a cubicle for 8 hours a day. Ugh :P

Writing is the one thing I always went back to. It was, and still is, the only thing that I do that doesn’t feel like work.

2. Is there a particular message in Strange Luck that you'd like your readers to grasp? 

I think the quote by Dr. Seuss at the beginning of Strange Luck sets the tone for the story: “Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” Strange Luck is about the importance of memories, how they shape who we are and who we become, and what would happen if our most cherished memories were stolen from us.

3. Are there any scenes in the Strange Luck series that were particularly challenging to write?

Probably the fight scenes because there are a lot of details to keep track of (e.g., character placement, how injured someone is/their energy level, creating tension, etc.). I’m also not a big fan of fight scenes in general. Conjuring magic is much more up my alley.

4. What's your favorite under-appreciated novel? 

The Neverending Story. Most people only know of the movie, but the movie is based on an incredible book. I couldn’t put this book down to save my life!

5. Which authors have inspired your work?
H.P Lovecraft is my favorite author of all time and he’s been a major influence on my writing. His stories really get in your head. You can’t easily forget them.

J.K. Rowling, Joanne Harris, Neil Gaiman, and James Dasher have also heavily influenced me.

6. What is your favorite childhood book? 

I read The Secret Garden a lot as a kid because it has a dark and mysterious vibe. I also really liked to read classic fairy tales about magic, witches, and other worlds.

7. What are you working on at the moment? 

I just released Book II in the Strange Luck series, The Nightmare Birds, a few months ago. Right now I’m working on the third book in the series called REALM OF THE SHADOW GODS. You can expect lots of dark magic mixed with strange things creeping into the light *insert evil laugh here*, plus some new characters. All of this allows the protagonist, Daisy Darling, to get to the bottom of who she really is. But will she embrace her heritage?

8. Do you have any interesting writing habits?

I need a quiet, clutter-free atmosphere to write. My desk always has to face a window too. There’s just something about unconsciously gazing at birds and squirrels that helps with my writing process. Plus, they are cute.



Strange Luck:

Hidden deep in the forest, beneath mounds of forgotten memories, lies the secret world of the Nameless - a magical realm as beautiful as it is dangerous.

Daisy Darling used to think of Sea Salt, the small mountain town she has always called home, as a boring place where nothing ever happened.Then she met a peculiar wanderer who reveals a mysterious world hidden beneath the town all along. A world where mind-bending, magical, life-altering phenomena happen. A world harboring a dark secret under its snow-capped mountains, aquamarine waters, and perfumed jungles. A world built using stolen memories.

Now that Daisy's eyes have been opened to the truth about the Nameless, there's no turning back. Driven to save the other Collectives, Daisy is pulled deeper into the world's tangled lies, finding herself ensnared in a dangerous network of tunnels and time-altering portals. Somehow Daisy must discover the strength to win back her freedom before the Nameless claims her forever.


About the author: 

Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, where she met (and later married) her high school sweetheart, writing books never entered Amie's mind until she completed her BA in anthropology and religious studies, MA in environmental studies, and a wilderness solo in the Rocky Mountains. After having tried a variety of unique jobs - from park ranger, grant writer, natural history curator, Editor-in-Chief for various magazines, to archaeologist - did she start experimenting with writing fiction. AMIE IRENE WINTERS is the author of the Strange Luck Series.

She currently makes her home in western Pennsylvania. When not conjuring up other worlds, Amie can be found hiking, painting, playing music, traveling, baking desserts, or antiquing.

Website        Blog



  1. Thanks so much for interviewing me. It was a blast :)

  2. Aww this is such an interesting interview, Veronika :) I have never heard of the books or the author, but the Strange Luck books seem very intriguing to read! As a child, I read The Secret Garden, too (but I never finished it because I couldn't find the time to read, so I eventually dropped it. Someday, I will fix that!). And J.K. Rowling has always been an inspiration. I aspire to be a writer, and she is one of the writers who have touched me so much with her books. It makes me see now that I must never give up :) Great interview, and it was lovely to get to know more about Amie!

    Jillian @ Jillian's Books

    1. Glad you enjoyed the interview, Jill! I'll have a review up tomorrow, so you'll be able to learn about the books a bit more. :P They were pretty awesome, I'll tell you that. The Secret Garden is so mysterious and awesome - I definitely think you should pick it up again! Yes, J. K. Rowling's story is a huge inspiration not just for writers, but for anyone who ever felt like giving up on something she loved. Thank you! :)

